Project Activities
The researchers evaluated the efficacy of BELLA using a randomized trial design with randomization at the school level.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This study was conducted in public elementary schools in North Carolina.
Sample
This study included English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and kindergarten and first grade classroom teachers and multilingual learners (MLs) in their classrooms. The overall project included a total of 38 schools, 147 teachers, and 241 students.
The intervention is a year-long teacher professional development program that included three components: 1) four days of in-person BELLA workshops; 2) four implementation coaching sessions; and 3) weekly collaboration meetings between the ESL and classroom teachers.
Research design and methods
The study was a randomized controlled trial with randomization at the school level.
Control condition
ESL and classroom teachers assigned to the control group were invited to attend a 1-day version of the BELLA workshop at the end of the school year.
Key measures
Teacher measures included an online survey with measures for collaboration and multicultural beliefs. Teachers were observed four times during the school year with the BELLA Observation Tool. The key student outcome was measured with the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for Primary Grades.
Data analytic strategy
A mixed modelling approach with restricted maximum likelihood estimation was employed using the SAS procedure MIXED (SAS/STAT software version 9.4). Study hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA models, with the baseline value of the outcome included as a pretest covariate; in all models, district was modelled as a fixed effect.
Key outcomes
The main findings of this project, as reported by the principal investigator, are as follows:
- Results of the first cohort of this study (Babinski et al., 2025)
- There were significant impacts on teachers’ practices and students’ language and literacy outcomes. More specifically, the findings indicated that teachers in intervention schools had higher levels of collaboration and co-planning between grade-level and ESL teachers (d = 1.40) than teachers in the control schools.
- Importantly, this study found that students taught by treatment teachers experienced statistically significantly higher growth in their NWEA MAP RIT score than students taught by comparison teachers (d = 0.30).
- The study found large differences in the difference application of evidence-based instructional strategies (d = 3.60) in collaboration frequencies (d = 2.95), but the differences were not statistically significant .
- Results of the impact of the program on ESL teacher outcomes from cohorts 1 and 2 (Babinski et al, 2024).
- The professional learning program had a statistically significant impact on ESL teachers’ use of evidence-based instructional practices (d = 1.82). The program also had an impact on ESL educators’ processes for collaboration (d = 1.01).
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products from this project include evidence for the efficacy of the BELLA intervention to improve the practices of classroom teachers and ESL teachers, and language and literacy outcomes for Latino ELs. The researchers also produced peer-reviewed publications.
Project website:
Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Select Publications
Babinski, L., Amendum, S., Carrig, M., Knotek, S., & Sanchez, M. (2025). Teaching young multilingual learners: Impacts of a professional learning programme on teachers’ practices and students’ language and literacy skills. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2025.2472880 https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2025.2472880
Babinski, L.M., Amendum, S., Carrig, M., Knotek, S., Mann, J.C. & Sánchez, M. (2024). Professional Learning for ESL Teachers: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Impact on Instruction, Collaboration, and Cultural Wealth. Education Sciences, 14(7), 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070690
Babinski, L.M., Amendum, S.J., Knotek, S.E., & Mann, J.C. (2024). Multilingual students benefit when grade-level and specialist teachers collaborate. The Learning Professional, 45(6), 46-49.
Available data:
De-identified study data and documentation will be available at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) upon publication of all the study findings.
Additional project information
Related projects
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
